


catch you (we're in love)

by hitmyheart



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Childhood Friends, Donghyuck is a prodigy, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, M/M, Making Out, Mark Plays Baseball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 13:27:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19063618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hitmyheart/pseuds/hitmyheart
Summary: Cather Mark Lee and Music Prodigy Lee Donghyuck hate each other’s guts.





	catch you (we're in love)

**Author's Note:**

> hello, it's me again bringing another markhyuck oneshoot. Idk what will you guys think about this but I hope you'll like it >< also I wanted to thank [Ana](https://twitter.com/idkmarkhyuck) for helping me beta-read this. Thank you so much for your immense help to make this story better ♥   
> Happy reading! <3

* * *

 

“Stop staring, Donghyuck. Your eyeballs are about to pop out,” Jaemin said as he wrote down the new student name who registered into the music club.

The new semester had just begun and it was the activity’s fair day. The freshmen were all gathered in the university’s field. All of the clubs were open to recruit new members. Donghyuck, the president of the music club, was there with his friends, Jaemin and Renjun, who organized the club. There were several students who lined up to join but Donghyuck’s eyes were fixated to the other side of the field where bunch of guys from Sports Department gathered around. His nose scrunched up as he saw a lot of students lined up to join baseball team.

“What’s so good about that sport,” Donghyuck muttered under his breath, clearly annoyed. “It’s boring. Why would anyone want to join anyway?”

“Because if you can make it to the team, girls will be on their feet swooning over you,” Jaemin answered nonchalantly, before looking up and smiling encouragingly to the girl who stuttered his name out.

Donghyuck wrinkled his nose in distaste. “So full of themselves.”

Before he could throw another remark, Renjun, who appeared out of nowhere, chimed in.

“They’re hot, anyway. That’s understandable.”

“Exactly.” Jaemin said in satisfaction, winking at Renjun.

Donghyuck glared at both of his friends.

“You two can talk like that because Jeno and Lucas are on the team.”

“And you can talk like that because you’re just being bitter over Mark Lee’s popularity.”

It was a well-known fact that Mark and Donghyuck hated each other’s guts. Being childhood friends, one would think that their friendship would last long. But it wasn’t the case for them. Mark and Donghyuck couldn’t be in the same space without going for each other’s throats. They wouldn’t last for five minutes without getting onto each other’s nerves. Even Jaemin and Renjun, their friends since junior high school, didn’t really know where things started to go wrong between them. They used to be attached at the hip and all of sudden, they drifted apart.

“I’m not being bitter,” Donghyuck snorted. “Mark Lee can do whatever he wants because I don’t give a single shit about him.”

“Sure, sure,” Jaemin hummed. “Whatever you say,”

Donghyuck opened his mouth to say something, to defend himself, because he could sense a mock underneath Jaemin’s tone, as if he didn’t believe what Donghyuck had said. But he decided to close his mouth again and let it be because he didn’t want to talk about Mark Lee any longer.

Speaking of the devil, just when Donghyuck looked up from a stack of brochure he had to give out later, his eyes locked with Mark’s from across the field. The latter gave him his signature lopsided smile. Even from where he was sitting, Donghyuck could see the mirth in his eyes, clearly mocking him.

Mark smirked at him and Donghyuck gave him a middle finger.

 

* * *

 

 

The Freshmen Welcome Party was an annual event and even though Donghyuck wasn’t really in the mood to go, he couldn’t miss it. Walking into the hall, Donghyuck was greeted with the crowd. People were already crowding around the dance floor. It would be impossible to find his friends among the throng of people so Donghyuck made his way to the corner of the hall. There were food and drinks but Donghyuck was careful to pick them. He sniffed the orange juice first, making sure that it wasn’t spiked because getting drunk was the last thing he wanted. After making sure that it was safe, he sipped it slowly.

“Well, well, isn’t it the music prodigy Lee Donghyuck,”

Donghyuck didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. He’d recognize that voice anywhere. Turning around ever so slowly, Donghyuck scoffed when he found that Mark was already looking at him.

“What do you want?”

“Easy there, puppy,” Mark chuckled. “You aren’t the one who wants to drink.”

Donghyuck’s nostrils instantly flared up.

“Don’t. Call. Me. That.”

Mark’s lips stretched upward. “What? Puppy? You are, though. A very fierce one I might add.”

Donghyuck was obviously livid right now. He regretted it a moment later when Mark smiled in triumph, knowing that he’d gotten the smaller worked up. Donghyuck hated it even more when Mark got the upper hand.

“Shut up, Mark Lee.”

“I like the way my name rolls off of your tongue. It sounds sweet, just like you.”

Donghyuck slammed the cup down the table, eyes burning. Mark was still unfazed. If anything, he looked obviously satisfied now.

“If you don’t stop talking—“

“Are you going to shut me up with a kiss?”

Donghyuck’s face flushed, his jaw clenching. It wasn’t going to work. Talking to Mark just wasted his time. Donghyuck willed himself to calm down while his eyes roaming around. When he saw Taeil, his senior from the same department as him, he quickly called out to the latter.

“Taeil hyung!”

The man turned around and smiled when he saw Donghyuck. Ignoring Mark’s gaze that bored into side of his face, Donghyuck smiled back at Taeil, a little too bright and wide that it made his cheeks hurt.

“Hey, Donghyuck,” Taeil said as he stopped before the younger. He looked at him, up and down, and let out a pleased hum. “You look really good tonight.”

Donghyuck grinned. That, he knew. He spent almost thirty minutes rummaging through his closet and doing his make-up and hair. Donghyuck also knew that he looked hot in his tight jeans.

“Do you want to dance?”

Donghyuck didn’t miss a single beat to answer.

“Let’s go!”

Donghyuck didn’t spare Mark a glance as he took Taeil’s hand and pressed himself against him. When Donghyuck turned around, he couldn’t help but shudder as he locked eyes with Mark. Mark pinned him with his gaze, all traces of playfulness were void from his face. There was something in his eyes, but Donghyuck couldn’t decipher it. His expression was unreadable. They held each other’s gaze for a solid minute and Mark was the first one to break it. And just like that, the latter turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

 

* * *

 

 

Donghyuck hated baseball but he hated his friends even more for dragging him along whenever they wanted to watch their boyfriends’ practice. Renjun and Jaemin never missed their boyfriends’ practice on Mondays and Thursdays. They would bring snack and food. Sometimes they would do their assignment while watching the practice. That was how far they would go for Jeno and Lucas.

Donghyuck wouldn’t mind accompanying his friends anywhere but watching the baseball practice meant watching Mark too. Just thinking about him already put him into a bad mood.

“Stop sulking, Donghyuck,” Jaemin nudged him. “Injunnie and I are doing you a favor,”

Donghyuck frowned. “What favor?”

“Well, you are here and you can ogle Mark Lee freely.”

Donghyuck slammed his paper down and glared at Jaemin who looked back at him with his big innocent eyes.

“And why would I do that? I have better things to do than ogle at him.”

“Really?” Renjun said. “Not even when he’s doing that?”

Renjun pointed his finger at the field and Donghyuck turned to watch Mark catch the ball that was thrown in his direction at the speed of light, his movement were so fluid and fast like a cheetah. From where he was sitting, Donghyuck could see the way Mark’s muscles flexed underneath his uniform and his strong and powerful legs keeping him grounded.

He frowned. “It’s nothing special.”  

Renjun burst out laughing.

“You guys are unbelievable,” he said, shaking his head. “The tension between you and Mark is so thick you can cut it with a knife.”

“I believe that it’s sexual tension,” Jaemin giggled. “You guys need to make up and get laid.”

Donghyuck made a disgruntled sound at the back of his throat. He opened his mouth to say something, but then someone stopped before him, towering over him. Donghyuck looked up to see that it was Hendery, the assistant manager of the team.

“Hey, Donghyuck,”

Donghyuck, albeit confused as to why Hendery suddenly approached him, smiled politely at him.

“Yes, Hendery?”

Hendery suddenly looked flustered as he stuttered, “Do you have some free time this Friday? There’s this musical show at Gangnam and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?”

Renjun and Jaemin gasped.

“Are you asking Donghyuck for a date?”

Hendery blushed even more. “W-well,”

Donghyuck bit the insides of his cheeks, contemplating his decision. Hendery was a cute guy. He smiled a lot and was very friendly. It was safe to say that they were close because they’ve talked a lot in the past. Hendery was very nice too. Whenever Renjun and Jaemin were too busy chatting with their boyfriends, Hendery would approach Donghyuck and accompanied him. Donghyuck wasn’t interested in dating but going out with Hendery wasn’t a bad idea either. He just had to draw the line so he didn’t lead him on because it wouldn’t be fair for the latter.

“Okay.” Donghyuck said after a moment of loaded silence. “I’ll go with you.”

Hendery was practically glowing to hear it. He smiled so wide and bright, showing off all of his teeth. He opened his mouth to say something only for it to come out as a yelp as a ball smashed into his back, making him stumble forward in full force. Donghyuck caught him just in time, gripping his forearms to steady him. He got up from his seat and peeked over Hendery’s shoulder to see the culprit. He wasn’t even surprise when he saw Mark jogging over towards them.

“Sorry, Hendery,” Mark said as he picked the ball up from the ground. “I threw the ball too hard.”

Hendery nodded and smiled reassuringly at Mark.

“It’s okay, Mark. No worries.”

Donghyuck glared at Mark. Hendery was too kind for his own good. But Donghyuck knew Mark long enough to know that he did that on purpose—for whatever reasons he couldn’t understand.

“And to think that you’re the best catcher on the team,” Donghyuck snorted, throwing a dirty look at him. “You could hurt more people if you continue being careless.”

Mark clenched his jaw.

“Donghyuck, it’s fine,” Hendery said, smiling. “It didn’t hurt that bad.”

“Still doesn’t change the fact that he hurt you!”

“I didn’t even hurt you,” Mark seethed, nostrils flaring up. “What’s with the attitude? Hendery didn’t even mind because it was just an accident!”

Renjun and Jaemin quickly stepped up between Donghyuck and Mark, preventing them from jumping at each other. Hendery looked torn now even if he wasn’t supposed to. He wanted to stop the fighting but the couch called him.

“Donghyuck, it’s really fine,” Hendery said. “Don’t blame, Mark. It was just an accident.”

Donghyuck glared at Mark.

Mark glared back at Donghyuck.

“I have to go now,” Hendery continued. “So, I’ll pick you up on Friday?”

Donghyuck turned to Hendery, his face softened. “Yeah.”

Once Hendery was gone, Mark spoke again.

“Where are you two going?”

Donghyuck scoffed as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“That’s none of your business, Lee.”

“They’re going on a date,” Jaemin told Mark. Donghyuck turned to his friend, throwing a look of betrayal.

“You can’t go,” Mark said all of sudden. It surprised the three of them. “The family gathering is on Friday, too. If you really want to go on a date with him, good luck asking Dad’s permission.”

Mark had the audacity to throw a smug smirk at Donghyuck before jogging away. Donghyuck exhaled sharply through his nose, his face turning red in anger. He felt the strong urge to throw something at his face. Mark obviously had his ways of riling Donghyuck up. The latter knew that Donghyuck wouldn’t be able to go if there was a family gathering.

So, here was the thing. Their parents were friends since high school and their friendship went on until now. They used to be neighbors before Donghyuck’s family had to move out when Johnny, his father, transferred to another workplace. Even so, they still had a family gathering once in a month. It was the time where the Lee’s and Seo’s spent the evening together.

“Mark is right,” Jaemin said after a long moment of silence. “Uncle Ten will never let you miss the family gathering.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes.  

“Well, duh. Of course he is right, Nana.”

Renjun patted Donghyuck’s back in sympathy.

“I’m pretty sure Hendery will understand,” he said. “He is such a sweet guy. He wouldn’t get mad if you cancelled the plan,”

Donghyuck sighed.

“I know. I will talk to him later.”

“Also,” Jaemin added, his voice suddenly sounding more enthusiastic. Donghyuck knew it was a sign that whatever would come out of his mouth was not going to please him. “I think Mark did that on purpose because he was jealous.”

Donghyuck kicked Jaemin on the shin so hard that the latter cried out in pain before storming off out there.

 

* * *

 

 

Despite how things were going between him and Mark, Donghyuck loved to go to the latter’s house. Mark’s family was like his family, too. Vice versa. Donghyuck called Mark’s parents “appa” meanwhile Mark called his “dad”. That was how close their families were. The only problem was that their families didn’t know that Mark and Donghyuck’s friendship wasn’t the same anymore. They’d rather die than let their parents know. Ten and Taeyong would be devastated if they knew about it. It would break their hearts. That was why Donghyuck and Mark had to pretend in front of them. When their families were together, Donghyuck and Mark pretended that they were okay, though more often than not, it proved to be hard because they just couldn’t hold their tongues sometimes.

The dinner was chaotic. Taeyong and Jaehyun were struggling to get their twins, Jisung and Chenle, to eat in peace. Meanwhile Ten and Johnny tried to stop Yanyang and Xiaojun from throwing their food around. In the end, Donghyuck had to take Yanyang away from his sibling and settle him on his lap, feeding the boy.

“Sweetheart, how’s the preparation going for your musical?” Taeyong asked without looking at Donghyuck. He was busy feeding the twins.

“Everything is under control, Appa,” Donghyuck replied. “We’re going to start the first rehearsal tomorrow.”  

“That’s good,” Jaehyun said. “We can’t wait to watch your performance, sweetheart.”

Donghyuck smiled. “I’ll save you guys the front seats as usual.”

“When is it again, baby?” Johnny asked. “I forgot the date.”

Ten shook his head at his husband. “You’re such an old man.”

“September 23. Saturday night at the university’s hall.”

It was Mark who answered the question, which shocked Donghyuck. The others might have not noticed how strange it was, but for Donghyuck, he clearly didn’t expect Mark to remember the date. Why would Mark remember it, anyway? He’d never come to Donghyuck’s show. Well, not anymore.

Donghyuck knew that Mark was aware of his questioning stare but the latter didn’t turn to look at him, silently eating his food. He wanted to confront him, but Yangyang squirmed in his lap, reaching out for Xiaojun’s food. It would be an ugly match if the two of them fought. He tried to pull Yangyang’s hand away and his brother’s face immediately scrunched up. Panicked and alarmed, Donghyuck tried to shush him but Yangyang already burst into tears.

“Oh, no, no,” Donghyuck patted Yangyang’s back, rocking him in his arms. “Don’t cry, baby.”

Yangyang cried louder. Ten was quick to give Xiaojun to Johnny. But before he could reach out for his youngest, Mark who sat next to Donghyuck was quick to take the boy from his arms.

“Shush, little star, don’t cry,”

Donghyuck watched in astonishment as Mark cradled Yangyang in his arms, rocking the boy gently while whispering sweet nothings into his arms. Yangyang stopped crying almost immediately, which made Donghyuck sigh in defeat. He was Yangyang’s brother but it was always Mark who could calm him down.

“Isn’t that sweet?” Taeyong cooed. “Mark can easily calm Yangyangie down and Donghyuckie is also the one who can make Lele stop crying.”

“That’s right,” Ten agreed. “The maknaes have picked sides.”

After the dinner was over, they moved to the living room. The kids crowded around each other, playing together. They got along very well. The adults were sitting on the couch, talking about serious stuff. Donghyuck and Mark sat next to each other, not too far from the kids, keeping their eyes on them.

“So, you’re not going out with Hendery.”

Donghyuck looked at Mark weirdly, nose scrunched up.

“Why do you care?”

“I don’t.”

Donghyuck didn’t answer him. Mark didn’t say anything in return either.

“How did you know?” Donghyuck asked after a moment of silence.

Mark turned to him, raising one of his eyebrows.

“How did I know what?”

“The date of my musical,”

“Oh,” a small pause. “You told us.”

“I didn’t,” he said. “I haven’t told your parents yet. And I certainly didn’t tell you anything about it.”

They held each other’s gaze for what seemed like forever. Donghyuck’s eyes were searching into Mark’s. He noted every flick, trying to read him. He waited for the latter to speak, but Mark didn’t say anything. The heavy silence between them broke when Chenle screamed, yelling at Jisung. And soon enough, Yangyang and Xiaojun followed him. It was Donghyuck and Mark’s cue to step in and stop them.

And just like that, the conversation was over and forgotten.

 

* * *

 

 

It was one of those rare days when the cafeteria was packed to the brim. It was as if everyone in the university decided to eat there at the same time. Donghyuck’s shoulders visibly deflated as he looked around, trying to find his friends. He tried to walk through the throng of people, trying not to bump into anyone so he didn’t get knocked out. He spotted Jaemin and Renjun sitting in the corner and made his way there. He was halfway to their table when suddenly someone knocked into his shoulder. He yelped in surprised and the tray of food that he was holding slipped from his hands and fell on the ground with a loud clatter. The cafeteria suddenly went quite, all eyes turning to the source of the noise to see what happened.

Donghyuck turned around to see who bumped into him and realized that the person before him was way taller than he thought. He had to crane his neck up to see his face and when he did, he visibly gulped. He recognized the letterman jacket and the face. It was Shownu from the basketball team and he was also the biggest and tallest members on the team.

“Watch where you walk, midget. Use your eyes,”

Donghyuck frowned, his lips pressing into a straight line.

“You were the one who bumped into me, dickhead,” Donghyuck spat, eyes burning with anger. “You’re the one who should use your eyes. And my name’s not midget, asshole. If you can’t call me properly then don’t bother.”

Donghyuck watched as Shownu’s face turned from white to red. The latter was visibly shaking with anger. Donghyuck was well aware that Shownu could break his bones with bare hands but he didn’t back away. He needed to teach the guy a lesson for being rude.

Shownu stepped closer. “You—“

“Don’t you fucking dare, Shownu.”

Mark Lee appeared out of nowhere and before Donghyuck could proceed what was happening, he was being pushed backwards. Mark was suddenly in front of him, his back facing him. He stood between Donghyuck and Shownu, practically shielding the smaller. It was actually funny how Mark had to look up too to see Shownu because of the visible height difference. Mark wasn’t as big and tall as Shownu, but he stood his ground, unfazed. Donghyuck just then realized how buff Mark was. His shoulders were so broad that Donghyuck almost couldn’t see anything hiding behind him.

“Is that your baby boy, Lee?”

“Don’t call him like that,” Mark glowered, his shoulders shaking. “Just leave. If you don’t, this isn’t going to end well.”

Shownu simply snorted before walking away. Mark turned to Donghyuck, his face red and his eyebrows furrowed.

“Let’s go.”

“What? Why—“

Mark didn’t let Donghyuck to finish his sentence as he grabbed his wrist, pulling him out of the cafeteria. The grip on his wrist was tight and actually hurt. Donghyuck was also struggling to keep up his pace with Mark’s. Once they were out from the cafeteria and turned into the empty hallway, Donghyuck shook his hand out of Mark’s grip.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? It hurts. Let me go, asshole!”

Mark looked at him in disbelief.

“Oh, is this how you show your gratitude to someone who just helped you? By calling him asshole?”

Donghyuck rubbed his wrist that slightly stung and glared back at Mark.

“I wasn’t asking for your help. You just appeared out of nowhere. I could handle him by myself!”

Mark let out a scoff, mocking him.

“If I wasn’t there, you’d be dead already. You can’t beat him.”

“So what if I can’t beat him? It’s not like I need you to beat him for me either. I don’t need you!”

The last words came out louder and harsher than Donghyuck intended them to be. Mark took a step back and Donghyuck knew that he’d crossed the line this time. The way Mark’s face twisted as if someone just punched him in the gut made Donghyuck’s stomach lurched.

“Wait, I—“

Mark didn’t listen to him and quickly turned around, walking away. Donghycuk watched as his back slowly disappeared from his vision. Part of him wanted to run after Mark but he couldn’t bring himself to move. The words still left a bitter aftertaste on Donghyuck’s tongue and it lingered longer than he’d like to admit. Still, Donghyuck didn’t do anything about it and opted to act like nothing happened.

 

* * *

 

 

Donghyuck almost tripped over his own feet when Jeno and Lucas suddenly stopped before him, blocking his way. He was about to scold them for being careless but the words died down on his throat when he noticed their troubled expression.

“What happened?” he immediately asked.

“Donghyuck, have you seen Mark?” Jeno asked, worry written all over his face. “We couldn’t reach him since yesterday.”

Lucas explained, “Couch is in fury right now. Mark was supposed to go to practice but we couldn’t even call him.”

“I don’t know where he is,” Donghyuck replied, his heart beating manically in his chest. He could feel dread slowly setting at the pit of his stomach. He knew it was never good when Mark suddenly disappeared.

“Could you please call us when you see him? The upcoming match is very important and we can’t afford to slack off,”

Donghyuck nodded woodenly. “Okay, I will.”

“Thanks, Donghyuck.”

Donghyuck convinced himself that the reason why he came to Mark’s house, instead of going home, was to see Jisung and Chenle. Maybe he could bake some cookies with Taeyong later and watch crime series on television with Jaehyun. But he found himself standing in front of Mark’s room, his hand hovering over the doorknob. It took some time for him to finally gather enough courage to knock on the door.

“I’m not hungry, Appa,” Mark yelled from inside the room.

Donghyuck swallowed heavily. “It’s me.”

It was silence after that. Donghyuck waited and he almost bolted out of there and just went home because this was indeed stupid. Why was he here anyway? Before he could move, the door was being opened and Mark appeared looking like he hadn’t slept for weeks.

Donghyuck wrinkled his nose. “You stink.”

“Ha, ha,”

Mark opened his door and Donghyuck let himself in. It felt strange, awkward, yet painfully familiar at the same time. He hadn’t been in Mark’s room for God knew how long. He couldn’t even remember when was the last time he set his foot there. Mark’s room had changed. The first thing that Donghyuck noticed was the clean wall. Mark had taken off all of the posters. It made Donghyuck feel more out of place. There was nothing familiar to remember expect for Mark himself.

“What are you doing here?”

Donghyuck turned his head and he could feel his cheeks burned as he realized that Mark was looking at him with such intense eyes.  The latter had probably been observing him since he entered the room and for some reasons it made blood rushed to his cheeks.

“Jeno and Lucas came to me and asked about your whereabouts,” he replied, carefully settling himself on Mark’s bed. It was the only available space to sit because Mark had taken the chair.

Mark sighed. “I’ll call them later,”

Donghyuck watched Mark, scanning him from head to toe.

“You look like shit.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“Haven’t you taken a shower? You do really stink.”

“Is this why you’re here? Checking whether I’d taken a shower or not?”

A silence.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh, now you care?”

Donghyuck looked at Mark dead in the eyes. He didn’t take the bait, though he knew that Mark was trying to avoid the subject. He understood why Jeno and Lucas were worried about Mark. The baseball team had been doing great lately. If the team won the upcoming match, they would play on the regionals and that meant more exposure. There would be a lot of sponsors watching the game and there was a big chance that they might get scouted into professional team.

There was a very long moment of silence. Mark was staring into nothing in particular, dazed. Donghyuck watched him and waited for him to speak. After what seemed like forever, Mark finally opened his mouth.

“Do you know what do you want in life?” he asked.

“Are you having a quarter-life crisis right now?”

Mark gave Donghyuck a look.

“I don’t,” Donghyuck replied, letting out a sigh. “Not really. Things are still uncertain to me right now.”

“You’re doing great with your grades. You perform once in a month. You’re a prodigy. Things seem hella perfect for you.”

“Well, that’s only the surface. You never know about the inside,”

Mark sighed. “You’re right.”

Another silence fell between them.

“Do you still write?”

Mark looked taken aback by the question. Now he lifted his head to look at Donghyuck properly.

“You used to write a lot,” Donghyuck said slowly, avoiding Mark’s gaze. “You said you want to be crime thriller writer and beat Agatha Christie.”

It got Mark to laugh a little. A small smile ghosted over Donghyuck’s lips.

“She wrote 66 detective novels. I would take me forever to beat her record.”

“I know you can do it. You’re the fully capable Mark Lee.”

Donghyuck realized what he just did only a moment later when Mark gaped at him, eyes wide and lips parted slightly. His mask completely slipped and for a moment Donghyuck could see the young Mark that he was and remembered the days they spent together, their childhood, and the years growing up together. Everything was colliding, the past and present. Donghyuck’s throat burned with unshed tears as he quickly blinked them away.

“Thanks,” Mark said slowly, holding Donghyuck’s eyes. “I guess.”

“Yeah. Anyway, I have to go now.”

Donghyuck quickly got up to leave. He couldn’t be there, not right now when all of the emotions chocked him up and suffocated him. He was about to open the door when Mark’s voice stopped him.

“It was great, by the way,” he said. “Your musical.”

Donghyuck slowly turned around, his lips parted slightly and eyes blown wide.

“You came?”

“You gave us ticket,”

“Yeah, but I only gave you it so our parents wouldn’t get suspicious of us,” he said. “And you never came.”

“I did.”

Donghyuck frowned. “I never see you. Your seat is always empty.”

Mark looked at Donghyuck and there was something new lurking in his eyes, something that Donghyuck hadn’t seen before and it caught him off guard.

“That’s because I watch you from a place where you can’t see me.”

 

* * *

 

 

Donghyuck should’ve listened to Johnny and brought his jacket with him when he went to the supermarket to get his late night snacks. Now he was freezing but there was nothing he could do about it. His house was still ten minutes away. Donghyuck fastened his walk. He almost reached his house when suddenly he could feel a presence behind him. He was stunned for a moment until he slowly could make out a pair of hands draping a jacket over his shoulders.

“Don’t take it off,” Mark’s rough voice warned. “You’re freezing, idiot.”

Donghyuck discretely wiped his running nose.

“Who said I wanted to take it off?”

Donghyuck wore the jacket properly and zipped it. He soon realized that it was Mark’s varsity jacket with his surname and number 7 embroided on the back.

“What are you doing here?”

Mark lifted a box of chocolate cake. “For my favorite little stars. Also I want to play chess with Dad.”

“You’re supposed to be at home. You have a big game tomorrow.”

Mark shrugged. “Well, I need a distraction.”

“What, a pro like you feel nervous too?”

“Oh, so you admit that I’m a pro?”

Donghyuck groaned. Mark laughed.

They fell into a comfortable silence, something they hadn’t felt in years now.

“I meant what I said, you know,” Donghyuck whispered. “That you’ll do well. I mean, you’re absolutely capable of anything.”

“I know that.” Mark said without a real heat.

Donghyuck gave him a smile, small but sincere. Mark returned it, his face softening. They didn’t talk until they reached the house. Later that day, when Donghyuck was about to go to bed, he realized that he hadn’t returned Mark’s varsity jacket. He stared at it for what seemed like forever and wondered what exactly happened between them. He fell asleep dreaming about young Mark and young Donghyuck running under the bright sunlight, face brilliant with smile wide. It was a very beautiful dream that brought tears to Donghyuck’s eyes in his sleep at the mere thought of it being over in the morning.

 

* * *

 

 

The hallway was still packed, filled with people who stayed behind after the game. Donghyuck was struggled to weave past them, trying to get out of the crowd. He wouldn’t want to get himself into this kind of trouble if it weren’t Mark who walked ahead him, oblivious to his attempt to get him.

“Mark!” Donghyuck yelled. “Stop right there!”

Mark couldn’t hear him and continued to walk.

“MARK LEE!”

Mark stopped in his tracks, looking surprise to find Donghyuck trailing behind him. The smaller finally could get free and fastened his walk toward Mark.

“Donghyuck, what are you doing here?”

Donghyuck panted, breathless. He pushed his hair back so it didn’t cover his eyes.

“What are _you_ doing here, Mark? Your team just won the big match and you’re running away.”

Mark’s lips pressed into a tight line.

“It’s none of your business,”

“True,” Donghyuck said. “I could’ve ignored you. But you made appas and dads worried about you. And your team mates too. You’ve been acting weird lately.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know that you noticed.”

“That’s it,” Donghyuck exhaled sharply. “That’s enough. You’re coming with me.”

Donghyuck had no idea where he wanted to take Mark. All he knew was that they needed to get out of there and get away from people. They needed somewhere quiet to think and space to breathe. They left campus and walked around the street aimlessly. The sky was already dark and the weather was chill. They didn’t talk, giving each other their needed space. Donghyuck wrapped his arms around himself and only then he realized that he was still wearing Mark’s letterman jacket. He hadn’t gotten a chance to give it back because Mark had already on the field by the time he got there with his and Mark’s parents.

“Couch talked to me after the game,” Mark finally said after a long moment of silence. Donghyuck hummed, encouraging him to talk more. Mark took a deep breath before he continued, “He told me that the chance of me to get scouted is big. I just have to keep up a good game until the last match is over. But there’s something that had been bugging me lately. I keep questioning my life and my decision. What I want to do in life? What’s my passion? Playing baseball is something that I enjoy but do I want to do it for the rest of my life? There’s something else I love too. I love writing. I don’t stop writing. But there are so many things at stake. I just couldn’t leave this behind.”

“You could,”

Donghyuck had stopped walking. Mark followed him. It wasn’t exactly the ideal place to talk. They were at the sidewalk where people were constantly passing by them. It was too open but as they stood there, facing each other, nothing seemed more perfect than this, right now.

“I get where you’re coming from,” Donghyuck said, stepping forward and invading Mark’s personal space. He held his gaze as he said, “I might not experience the same dilemma as you. Well, not really. But I do questioning my life from time to time. At the end of the day, I always knew that doing what we love the most is what really matters. I love singing, performing, making music. I don’t really care what I will become in the future as long as I can do what I love.”

Feeling braver than he’d ever felt in years, Donghyuck took another step forward. He tentatively reached for Mark’s hand. He gripped it, waiting for Mark to shake him off. But the latter tightened his grip around it almost immediately, pulling Donghyuck even closer to him, stepping more into each other’s personal space.

“You know that your parents will support you no matter what, right?” he whispered, their breaths hitting each other’s face. That was how close they were, so close. The closest they’ve ever been in years. “And my parents, too. They love you. They know and understand that you’re an adult. You’re capable of making your own decision.”

“And you? How about you?” Mark whispered back, unconsciously playing with Donghyuck’s fingers. “Do you support me?”

Donghyuck sighed. “Of course, you dumb lion.”

Mark’s lips slowly stretched upward into a smile.

“I missed that nickname,” he confessed. “I missed calling you puppy, too.”

Donghyuck sucked in a sharp breath. The emotions he was feeling right now were too raw. It was impossible to hide or play off. He knew Mark saw through him. The latter mirrored his expression and suddenly everything exploded around them.

Donghyuck didn’t remember when things started to go wrong between him and Mark. At that time, they were at age where they got angry and frustrated easily. It was something to do with hormone, he believed. A lot of things happened, they fought over something petty and unnecessary, and then suddenly they stopped confide in each other. They hadn’t exactly stopped talking because they still had to put an act in front of their parents. They just became more prideful and gone was the physical affection they had for each other. Now that Donghyuck thought about it, what they did was ridiculously stupid.

As Donghyuck stared at Mark, he couldn’t help but choke on his own emotions. He missed him. He missed his best friend. He missed talking to him for hours on end about absolutely everything and without ever getting bored of it. He missed sneaking out of the house and went to the convenient store down the road to eat cheap ramen together. He missed playing video games with him. He missed spending time with him. He just missed him in general.

“Is it too late for the redemption?”

Mark held Donghyuck’s gaze and sighed.

“I missed you,” he whispered softly. “But I don’t think we can be friends again.”

Donghyuck’s smile instantly fell.

“Why?”

“You’re driving me crazy, Donghyuck,” Mark admitted, now sounding frustrated, but it was more to himself. “I can’t look at your face without wanting to kiss you senseless. I don’t want to be your friend. I want more. And I don’t think I can hold myself back any longer. I want to make you mine. Mine only.”

There was another silence between them, thicker and longer now. They looked at each other, knowing that whatever happened would change their relationship forever.

“If that’s the case,” Donghyuck said slowly. “Why don’t you kiss me and make me yours?”

 

* * *

 

 

The door of Donghyuck's room had barely closed behind them before Mark had the smaller pinned up against it, smashing their lips together. In an instant Mark lifted Donghyuck up against his body and the smaller wrapped his legs around his hips, pulling him even closer. Mark's lips crushing Donghyuck's in an almost savage kiss. Donghyuck kissed him back with the same intensity, the latter's face held lovingly between his hands. Their breath mingled as they devoured one another. Mark's fingers ran down his back, stopping at his wonderful ass and giving it a hard squeezed, causing an involuntary shudder and a strangled moan out of Donghyuck beneath his imposing touch. 

“God, pup, you have no idea how hot you look in my varsity jacket with my name attached on it,”

Donghyuck slipped his fingers into the back of Mark’s hair, gripping it tightly as Mark trailed kisses down his neck.

“I know,” he panted. “That’s why I didn’t take it off during your game. It boosted your spirit, didn’t it?”

“You and your smart mouth,” Mark groaned.

Mark started grinding his hips into Donghyuck's, making him let out another moan and causing his head to slam back against the door in pleasure. Mark pressed himself further and harder, letting out all the pent-up emotions he had been holding for years, as his hand fumbled to take the jacket off Donghyuck's body. As much as he liked it on the smaller, it started getting in the way. Donghyuck got the message and quickly shrugged it off. Mark let out a pleased growl as he slipped his hand under Donghyuck's t-shirt, touching his heated, golden skin.

Donghyuck sucked in a sharp breath as Mark nuzzled his neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses and sucking, most likely bruising the skin. His hands roamed his body, not leaving any bend or curve untouched.

“God,” Mark growled deep in his throat. “I’ve been wanting to do this for so long.”

“Show me,” Donghyuck mewled. “Show me how I drive you crazy,”

Mark let out another growl before kissing Donghyuck back up again, harder and deeper now. He carefully walked toward the bed with the smaller still in arms all without breaking their kiss. He gently threw Donghyuck in the middle of the bed before climbing on top of him, caging him. He used his knees to spread his legs and slotted himself between them. He deepened their connection to an intense tangle of tongues. Donghyuck wrapped his arms around Mark's neck, drawing him close to his body. Mark gasped in his mouth and the kiss became more urgent than before. Donghyuck's mouth was open and Mark caught his swollen bottom lip with his teeth before shooting it with his tongue and stroking deep, tasting him.  Donghyuck tasted sweet, sweeter than his favorite strawberry cake, and more delicious than he would have imagined. Mark loved the way Donghyuck gasped at his touch and his fingers that were threading his hair felt ridiculously good.

“M-Mark,” Donghyuck moaned high in his throat.

And the kiss was getting out of control.

Mark rolled his hips, grinding himself harder against him. Donghyuck broke the kiss and whimpered, throwing his head back and moaned even louder. His eyes remained closed and his hands remained fisted in Mark's hair. Mark returned his lips to Donghyuck's skin, tracing his cheekbone, his jaw, running his teeth down the column of his neck to linger in the space where it met his shoulder. Mark kissed Donghyuck there, licking delicately before he sucked just enough to elicit a lovely little cry. A cry punctuated with Mark's own growl.

“Mine,” he whispered, deep and dark. “ _Mine_ ,”

Donghyuck arched into Mark with a low, humming moan.

Holding Donghyuck in his arms was like holding something complete, and completely alive. Like a heartbeat. Mark wondered how he'd gone this long without doing it. He rubbed his thumb across his neck, feeling his rapid pulse. When he pulled away, Donghyuck's eyes were still closed. The nightstand lamp illuminated every crevice of Donghyuck's face. He was glowing and Mark found himself falling in love all over again.    

“I’m sorry, Donghyuck,” he said, holding Donghyuck’s face in his hand ever so gently and carefully. “For being such a dick to you. For everything.”

“I’m sorry, too. For acting mad all the time. For everything.”

“We’re both idiots, huh?”

Donghyuck smiled, caressing Mark’s cheek with his fingers.

“Yeah,” he said. “We’re good now, right?”

Mark looked at Donghyuck’s eyes and something deep inside him bloomed when he saw the same thing he felt; a love so deep he thought his heart might burst from the ferocity of it. This night was about two wandering souls finding a home in each other.

“I love you, pup,” he whispered, voice thick with emotions. “I’m sorry it took me this long to say it.”

Donghyuck smiled, his eyes stinging with fresh tears.

“I love you, too,” he said it back with the same amount of intensity.

“You’re mine now,” Mark said, his tone possessive, making Donghyuck felt giddy inside. “You can’t run away from me ever again.”

“I can’t even if I want to. You’d catch me.”

Mark leaned down to press a small kiss at Donghyuck button’s nose.

“I caught you,” he whispered, dropping another small and soft kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Love you, my little puppy,”

Donghyuck giggled and muttered a soft “love you too” before pulling Mark down in for another kiss.

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/_hitmyheart)   
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/_hitmyheart)   
> If anyone here have kakaotalk and want to chat there, hit me up. Here's my id: hitmyheart.   
> Thank you! <3


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